In Nassau County, Long Island 83 residents have been asked to enter a 14-day self-quarantine after they were potentially exposed to the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.
Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein said at the news conference Wednesday the residents are being monitored daily, with one of the residents awaiting results of testing for the virus. All have been asked to report their temperature and any symptoms daily to Nassau County health officials.
Since the outbreak of the virus, however, 175 people in the county have undergone voluntary quarantine, according to Eisenstein.
He added that so far, five residents have been tested for the virus, but in all cases, the results were negative. The results of the final test are expected back by Thursday at the latest.
According to the New York State Department of Health website, 20 people have been tested for the virus so far in the state outside of New York City, including the five in Long Island. There are six more that were tested for the virus within the five boroughs of the City of New York as well. So far, all the test results have come back negative.
The New York City Health Department and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) do NOT currently recommend the use of face masks among the general public, according to a statement on the NYC Health Department website.
“While limited person-to-person spread among close contacts has been detected, this virus is not currently spreading in the community in the US,” the statement said.
“Go about your daily lives, but take the same precautions that you would during cold and flu season.”
For more information on this rapidly changing situation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has a special website that is updated daily. To reach the site, click here.